Q. Why don't Nycon nylon fibers show up on slab surfaces?
With the advent of synthetic fiber reinforced concrete came the term hairy concrete. It became a fact of life that when synthetic fibers are used in the concrete one can expect a hairy finish. This fact does not apply to Nycon's nylon fibers. Typically, regardless of the finish methods used, Nycon nylon reinforced concrete will not have a hairy surface.

One reason for the excellent finishing properties can be attributed to the fact Nycon nylon fibers are manufactured to reinforce concrete. Therefore, these fibers are very compatible with the concrete ingredients and composition. Equally important, the Nycon nylon fibers absorb a slight amount of water, which means they wet out better than polypropylene. Polypropylene is hydrophobic. With the Nycon nylon fibers absorbing water the fibers also attract mortar. To bury fibers in the surface of any slab, there must be mortar to encapsulate these fibers. This is why Nycon nylon fibers will always be superior to polypropylene fibers when it comes to concrete slab appearance.

To prove this statement a simple field test can be conducted. Place a slab with plain concrete adjacent to one with a polypropylene fiber next to one with Nycon nylon fibers. Use the same labor force and equipment to finish the slabs. When this type of direct comparison is conducted, one additional benefit can be discovered. There is less drag on the Nycon nylon slab than either the plain or polypropylene reinforced slab.

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